Definition

1. Noun:
   • Brittle star: A marine invertebrate animal belonging to the class Ophiuroidea, closely related to starfish. It is characterized by a small, central, disc-shaped body and five long, slender, flexible arms that resemble a snake's tail.
   • Ophiuroid: The scientific term for an echinoderm of the class Ophiuroidea.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Trên rạn san hô, tôi thấy một con đuôi rắn đang di chuyển. (On the coral reef, I saw a brittle star moving.)
  • Lớp Đuôi rắn có hơn 2,000 loài. (The Ophiuroidea class has more than 2,000 species.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily used in scientific (zoological) and educational contexts to describe these specific sea creatures. It is a compound noun formed from "đuôi" (tail) and "rắn" (snake), directly describing the animal's appearance.

Variants and Related Words

• Sao đuôi rắn: Another, less common Vietnamese name for brittle star, literally "snake-tailed star".
• Ophiuroidea: The scientific Latin name for the class of brittle stars and basket stars.
• Brittle star: The common English name.
• Basket star: A type of brittle star (suborder Euryalina) with highly branched, intricate arms.

Synonyms

• Brittle star
• Ophiuroid
• Snake star (a less common English term)

Related Terms

• Động vật da gai (Echinoderm): The phylum that includes brittle stars, starfish, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers.
• Sao biển (Starfish): A closely related echinoderm with thicker, less flexible arms.